1879), sister Charlotte Fowler Wells (1814-?), and brother-in-law Samuel Roberts Wells (1820-1875).
All were active lecturers and writers, individually and with Orson Fowler. Most of them were in- volved at one time or another with Orson's publish- ing firm. I have not located, however, any writings of this proUfic group that could have become known as "Fowler's T h e o r e m . " T h e following clues, however, suggest that an intensive perusal of these many publications would turn up the hard evidence that is needed. In the previously cited 1885 instrucdon book it was stated that "Fowler's Theorem" was sometimes, although "erroneously,"
called "Fowler and Wells'." In 1844 the name of the publishing firm of O.S. & L.N. Fowler was
changed to Fowler and Wells.
Thus, the earliest system that I have found for drafting dresses is the pre-Tentler system dating before 1838. It was probably created in the United States, possibly by a person named Fowler, who might have been Orson Squire Fowler or one of his related colleagues.
Setting these speculations aside, it is important to recall the two unique characteristics of this pre- Tentler system: fixed drafting points delineating one style of dress and the use of perforations in marking these points. These features spawned a new breed of drafting systems. Of special signifi- cance is the fact that these were systems specifically for cutting dresses.
placement of the lines of perforations. His instruc- tion booklet, however, directed the dressmaker to adjust the proportional draft according to two proof measurements. Half the front breast mea- surement was used. Also, the direct measurement of the underarm length "from where the sleeve is sewed in . . . down as far as the waist may require"
(1842:5) was used to adjust this dimension on the pattern. Tentler realized that the height of a woman had little to do with her breadth. Or as he put it, 'one person is tall and thin, and another stout and small" (1842:8). Half the actual waist circumference was used to determine how much of the waist of the pattern would be assigned to the
"breast plaits" or bust darts. All of the measure- ments were taken with a strip of paper one and a
quarter yards long and one and a half inches wide.
They were recorded on the strip by notches and identified by numbers.
T h e salient features of propordonal drafdng systems with perforated tools were used long after Tentler's modificadons. Only fragments remain of a perforated proportional system published in
1859 (Figure 17). Justin Clave, describing himself as a "Professor of Mathematics," claimed to be the creator of this "New Geometrical Method." Both the chart and the instructions were lithographed on a single sheet of paper by P. S. Duval and Son of Philadelphia. T h e perforations for marking the drafting points were not punched d u r i n g the manufacture of the chart. Instead the holes would have been made during its use. Unfortunately, the
FIGURE 17. The instructions and tool (intended to be perforated) for Justin Clave's 1859 propor- tional system printed in Philadelphia on a sheet of paper, originally 6 1 x 9 1 cm, which was sold for
$2. (Library of Congress,)
[Portion of original tool missing]
major portion of the instructions were printed on the section that has been lost. After comparing the measurements, however, I believe that this system was a proportional method with the drafting points designated by the circumference of the waist.
Clave's chart drafted dresses with waists measuring from 12 to 30 inches. Considering the stylishly tight corseting of the day, this drafting device did accommodate most of the ladies who would be
hkely to own a fashionable dress. T h e inch scale at the bottom of the tool suggests that the waist mea- surement was taken with an unmarked strip of paper or a string.
"The American Delineator" was the confident name given to a system that had a tool of cruder appearance than Clave's chart (Figure 18). Accord- ing to the printing on the tissue paper, Mrs. H.
McMillen, of Clyde, Ohio, secured a copyright for
FIGURE 18. Tool printed on tissue paper (intended to be perforated) that was required for the 1864 proportional system offered by Mrs. H. McMillen of Clyde, Ohio. (Warshaw Collection, Smithsonian Institution.)
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this chart in 1864. In this system it was assumed that the user owned an inch measure of some type.
The locations of the drafting points were deter- mined according to the "measurement in inches around the chest, close under the arms" (McMillen,
1864). Patterns could be drafted for women rang- ing in chest measurement from 24 to 39 inches.
This type of measurement was very similar to that used in the pre-Tentler system.
Despite the modifications that each creator of a perforated proportional system devised, these methods had similar advantages and disadvan- tages. T h e significant advantage of this type of system was that it was easy to use. It required no calculations, there were no complicated steps, and a garment could be drafted quickly. It was the ease with which these systems could be apphed that encouraged their continued use.
The two common weaknesses of these methods, however, encouraged the development of other techniques. First, the perforated proportional sys- tem worked well only for a few women. Because they were based on proportional presumptions, these methods could draft garments which would fit well only the few ladies who conformed to the creator's notions regarding proportional figures.
The obvious remedy for this problem was to incor-
porate some direct measurements producing hy- brid systems using perforated tools. T e n d e r was ahead of his dme when he advised correcdng the pattern drafted with his tool according to the underarm length and half the front "breast" mea- surements. But these modifications were merely added corrections rather than a true integration of direct measurements with proportional proce- dures.
T h e second fundamental weakness of the perfo- rated proportional systems is found in the form of the tool. T h e series of perforations provided fixed points for drafting one style of dress—only one.
T h u s , when fashions changed and required a bodice of a different cut, the system became obso- lete. In the preface of his 1842 publication, Tentler declared that he had "not the least doubt that this little book [would] realize his e x p e c t a t i o n s "
(1842:3). I suspect that he was sadly disappointed.
FIGURE I9a,b. Powell & Kohler's proportional system as pre- sented in their 1868 instruction book published in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Library of Congress.)
FIGURE 19a (below). Strip scales printed on a single sheet of paper included in the instruction book.
FIGURE I9b (right). Illustration showing how to use the strip tool to place critical drafting points.
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P O W E L L & KOHLER'S PRACTICAL SYSTEM FOR CUTTING.
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His system had become obsolete even before his patent was granted or his book copyrighted.
Changing fashions condnued to affect the longev- ity of individual drafting systems.
In 1868 Powell & Kohler published in Cincinna- ti, Ohio, a proportional method with a different type of tool. This system used a series of numbered strips, one for each size based on "breast" mea- surement (22 to 48 inches). These 27 strips, each divided into 50 equal parts, were printed on a single sheet of paper folded into the back of the instruction booklet (Figure 19a). The user was to have pasted this paper onto a stiff pasteboard and then cut the strip-scales apart. T h e scale to be used was selected according to the breast measurement.
The drafting process with this strip tool was not as simple as using a perforated chart. Nevertheless Pow- ell & Kohler were probably right when they claimed that anyone of ordinary intelligence could learn this system in 15 to 30 minutes. In the authors' example (Figure 19^) the individual had a 34 inch breast mea- surement. Thus, the scale marked "Size 34" was selected. To start, a verdcal base line (A to B) and a shorter horizontal line (A to C) were drawn using the two arms of a common square as a guide. The strip scale was placed next to the vertical base line and dots were then made on this line next to specified numbers on the scale. In the case of the back of a lady's dress, dots were placed at numbers 1, 6, 10, 14V2, 19V2, 23, 25!/2, 35V2, 45, and 46V2. A horizontal line was drawn from each of these dots perpendicular to the vertical base line. The scale was then placed on each horizontal line and a dot marked on this line next to a specified number on the scale. For example, the horizontal line at point one was dotted at six on the scale. The next horizontal line at point six was dotted at 14y2. T h e third horizontal line at point 10 was dotted at 20V2 and so on until the outline of the bodice piece was formed by a series of dots. The drafter connected the dots free hand. The numbers of the dots re- mained the same vertically and horizontally for each pattern piece no matter what the size of the individual. The eventual size of the garment de- pended upon the scale that was used, which in turn was determined by the breast measurement.
Powell 8c Kohler's method had disadvantages similar to the perforated proportional systems.
namely, not being very successful in drafdng gar- ments that fit well and becoming obsolete as fash- ions changed. T h e authors attempted to eliminate these disadvantages through two strategies. T o draft a more accurately fitted garment, the Powell
& Kohler method instructed the dressmaker to take two more measurements in addition to the breast measurement. These extra measurements (waist and underarm length) were not an intrinsic part of these systems but were to be used to " p r o o f or check the pattern once it was drafted. If there was a discrepancy between these direct measure- ments and the pattern, the pattern was to be al- tered. Powell 8c Kohler also attempted to prevent their method from becoming obsolete due to fash- ion changes. They intended to publish annual supplementary editions which would guide the subscriber in the art of cutting the most current styles with their system. As they told their readers,
this will enable all to keep up with, or rather in advance of the most popular styles, at a much less expense than by taking costly magazines, which after all do not teach you how to cut, but leave you to work out the problem for yourselves or to go to a professional cutter, at an annual cost of perhaps twice the price of our "system" (1868:20).
Powell &: Kohler's proportional system utilizing strips and the proportional methods using perfo- rated charts may have had a common origin. It is obvious to me that the concept behind the gradu- ated strips, used to mark points on perpendicular base lines in the draft, was derived from the di- vided strips integral to Wilson's 1827 tailors' system (Figure 6). As reported before, this was a modifi- cation of the tailors' system published in England by Minister in 1822. It has occurred to me that the perforated propordonal tools might also have the same lineage. For if the Powell 8c Kohler strips were used to mark the drafdng points for all the possible sizes on the same sheet of paper the spread of drafdng points would look very much like the perforated tools we have been examining.
Thus it is my opinion that it was the perforated form of this kind of tool that was uniquely an American creadon. It was the simplest to use and its simplicity ensured its continuance in future hybrid systems.
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